Melzar

Melzar (from Babylonian, possibly meaning the steward or warden) was the official appointed over Daniel and his three companions during their training in Nebuchadnezzar's court in Babylon (Daniel 1:11, 16). When Daniel requested to be excused from the king's food and wine, Melzar feared punishment if the Hebrew youths became less healthy than the other young men. Daniel proposed a ten-day trial of pulse and water; after ten days Daniel and his companions appeared healthier than all the rest, and Melzar thereafter allowed them to continue their diet of vegetables.